Roasted Cauliflower

You know, any vegetable prepared by roasting tastes great… not good, but great. I have to admit up front, I am not a huge cauliflower fan. So, when I got 2 heads in my CSA share last week, I was a little underwhelmed.

I actually really like pickled cauliflower in Giardiniera. Well, I like anything pickled, or in vinegar for that matter. And by the way, if you have never tried Giardiniera and like savory and tart flavors, you will fall in love with it! But, I am not going to go to the trouble of pickling just two heads of cauliflower.

I roast most vegetables when I don’t know what to do with them and they usually turn out pretty well, so I just applied this same method here. This time, I also incorporated two of my very favorite ingredients…lemon and Parmesan cheese.

See how beautiful these cauliflower heads look? They had a purplish color through them, so I just had to figure out a great recipe to do them justice. Roasted Cauliflower works as a nice side to just about any dish. I like it alongside a roasted chicken breast or steak with my favorite Greek Marinade or even tossed in this deliciously tasty Basil and Lemon Spaghetti.

I would love to hear your favorite recipes and uses for cauliflower. Please share them below.

Comments

My family including my two girls, loves roasted cauliflower, I make it very simply. Just cut two heads, throw them in a glass baking dish with Olive Oil, salt & pepper, roast for about 45 minutes covered with Tin foil, then toss it with some shredded Parmesan cheese and put under the broil for about 5 minutes and you have a yummy and easy vegetable side dish.

I’m with you all the way on cauliflower! One of my great aunts makes a roasted cauliflower that is breaded with cracker crumbs that is delicious too. I’ve never thought to get the recipe from her but I’m sure you could find it online.

Try this too! Cut a whole cauliflower up into chunks about the size of a tennis ball. Steam them in the steamer basket for about 15-20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 a stick of butter in the microwave. Also, measure out 1/4 cup of sour cream. When the cauliflower is done, remove from heat, drain well, and then add either a clean dishtowel or paper towel to the pot and shake lightly to get even more of the water out of the cauliflower (keep the lid on – you don’t want to lose the heat). Put all of the cauliflower in a food processor, careful it’s hot. Add the melted butter and sour cream too. Process until it is smooth and creamy, no lumps. Serve right away. It tastes and looks just like mashed potatoes. Good especially for low-carb diets or if you want to add a little more vitamins and variety to the meal. (It might look a little funny if made with the colorful cauliflower rather than the white variety!)